Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village
When the present feels stressful, we turn to the comforts of nostalgia. In the city of Ipoh, there’s a long list of attractions that make us feel like we’re a kid again visiting our grandparents’ home.
One such place is Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village, a nostalgia-inducing attraction that has kampung homes with artefacts from the 1960s on display. These exhibits are all set against Ipoh’s best natural gems, flanking limestone hills and surrounding a pond.
Here’s what you can see and do here.
A collection of nostalgia-filled houses
Image credit: @qingxinling.official via Instagram
Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village is an attraction in Ipoh that has been garnering the attention of locals from near and far seeking time away from the city. It’s located just a 2-hour drive from KL, tucked inside a quiet residential area in Taman Saikat near Gunung Rapat.
It opened back in 2014, by a nearby Chinese temple. There’s a small fee of RM12/pax to pay and enter the village – tickets can be purchased at a counter located right at the entrance.
Image credit: @christophertaiii via Instagram
As its name suggests, the attraction feels very much like a village – picture walking through your countryside hometown. There are rows of kampung-style homes dotted along a serene lake, against a mountain backdrop. Each comes with its own treasure trove of artefacts and collectibles that’ll transport you back to the golden days of Ipoh.
Image credit: @scorpiolao via Instagram
Some of the exhibits that recreate old houses and shops from a bygone era here include an old-school music shop with vinyl records and Chinese instruments on display, and a nostalgic 2-storey house showcasing Chinese household staples like antique phones and record players.
Image adapted from: @daniel_liow1 via Instagram, @jasmiez via Instagram
Take a ride on a traditional Chinese rickshaw
Image credit: @wongwanhui via Instagram
After exploring the houses and their storied objects, make your way outside where there’s a corner with rickshaws parked. Not just for show, you can hop on one for a free ride across the village. There are also tandem and bicycle rides available for visitors, if you prefer to explore the area at your own pace.
Image credit: @annmsl22 via Instagram
During your outdoor excursion, you’ll come across an enchanting tree decorated with red ribbons. The “decoration” on the trees is a longstanding practice among individuals who believe that writing their wishes down on a ribbon and hanging it from a tree will make them come true.
You can ask a staff here for a ribbon to make your own wish.
Image credit: @aetynawi via Instagram
Another highlight not to be missed here is Memory Lane, tucked along the limestone cliffs. This lane will lead you up a narrow trail, where another collection of nostalgic stores are lined. You’ll spot a Chinese hawker stall and barber shop decked with legit antique objects.
Image adapted from: @christophertaiii via Instagram
Take a trip down memory lane at Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village
Travelling back to the past is not possible – not unless you have a time machine. But at Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village in Ipoh, you can have take a stroll in your grandparents’ shoes when you explore its exhibits that captures well the thrilling days of the yesteryears.
Address: 22A, Persiaran Pinggir Rapat 5A, Taman Saikat, 31350 Ipoh, Perak
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm (Closed on Sundays)
Contact: 05-312 4140 | Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Cultural Village’s Facebook
For more things to do nearby, check out Hobbitoon Village in Cameron Highlands and 20 things to do in & near Ipoh.
Cover image adapted from: @qingxinling.official via Instagram, @scorpiolao via Instagram, @aetynawi via Instagram